287 Gluten “gelatinization”: I. Gluten thermostability.

M. I. P. KOVACS (1), S. M. Woods (1), G. Dahlke (1), A. P. Sarkar (2), N. K. Howes (1), Ch. Wang (1), R. DePauw (3), R. McKenzie (1), and D. Brown (1). (1) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Cereal Research Centre, 195 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2M9, Canada; (2) Canadian International Grains Institute, Winnipeg, Canada; (3) Semi-Arid Prairie Research Centre, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current, SK S9H 3X2.

Rheological properties of noodles are influenced by the constituents of the flour. Consequently the quality of noodles is influenced by the gluten content and its physicochemical properties. The degree of gluten thermostability or the cooked gluten viscoelasticity (CGV), a measure of the resistance of the gluten to heat denaturation, is used to select breeders lines with superior pasta and noodle cooking quality. CGV was determined using washed gluten, isolated with water or with different concentrations of NaCl salt solutions (CGVS). Two wheat varieties, one extra strong gluten type (Glenlea) and one weak gluten type (Fielder), were used to compare the denaturation time course and the effect of salt on the viscoelastic properties of cooked gluten. The resistance of the gluten against heat denaturation can explain some or most of the differences in noodle cooking quality. Using a set of varieties with diverse quality characteristics, significant relationships were obtained between CGV and the various tests used to predict noodle cooking quality in our wheat breeding program.